Grimac Mia - A Pro's Perspective

[malachi]

Coming soon is the first of the Pro's Perspective series of reviews.

As some of you know - I'm a professional barista and Dan has asked me to do a series of reviews of home espresso equipment - from a pro's point of view. This is an interesting challenge for me - I've never actually worked with a home machine before the last couple months when I played around with a La Pavoni Lever machine. So this is all a first for me.

As some background - while I know a lot about the technology of espresso machines, fundamentally I'm all about the taste of the coffee in the cup. And that is the perspective I'll be bringing to my reviews.

As I go along I'm going to post up little reports and teasers before we get to the actual review. And this, well... this is the first such teaser.

Today I drove up to Olympia, WA to the world headquarters of the mighty Espresso Parts NW to pick up the . When I got there I found that Terry had a surprise in store for me. Not only was there a Grimac Mia waiting for me... there was also an Astoria Compact CKXE machine. I think that when it came right down to it, Terry was a little nervous about my going from working on custom Mistral machines to the little Mia and wanted me to have a little more perspective. Regardless of the motivation, I was pretty excited to have a couple nice machines to play with (grin).



On the left... the Astoria. On the right... the Grimac.

This review is going to focus on the Grimac and will pretty much mention the Astoria as a benchmark of comparison for the Grimac.

First impressions...


As you can see, the Mia has the classic E61 group. To be honest, in my humble opinion this is no real guarantee of anything but it seems to matter to a lot of people so I thought I'd mention it. You'll also notice that this is a semi-auto machine. Personally, this is of great importance to me. I've really never worked on an auto machine and am not super comfortable with them. In addition, I tend to think that auto machines (because of the flowmeter) are less capable of creating great espresso.

The Mia is a hefty machine. I had the idea that these would be lightweight little "toy" machines... nothing is further from the truth. While the Mia is lighter than the beast that is the Astoria, none the less it was a real challenge for someone with a recently healed broken leg.

Setting it up and getting it ready to pull shots is obvious. Throw a bunch of Crystal Geyser water in the reservoir, turn it on, let it heat up, bleed off some pressure from the steam wand... ready to go.

Took me a couple shots to get the grind right but now it's ready for tomorrow morning's espresso.

First thoughts?

1) It's funny what you don't think of needing. I forgot to get some cleanser and had to beg some Puro Caff off a friend.

2) I've always scoffed about people whining about how messy espresso is. Now I get it. It's one thing when it's work. It's another thing when it's your home.

3) I'm sure I'll get used to it in time... but the whole not plumbed-in thing is already frustrating. Especially the drain tray. I've already spilled water everywhere after not noticing it filling up.

4) The whole temp-surfing thing doesn't seem that hard.

5) Shots seem quite good actually. Tomorrow will be the true test, but I'm actually pretty confident after these first couple shots.

6) The Mia comes with a one hole (that's right one hole) steam wand tip. I've dropped Terry at EPNW an email to see if I can get a real tip. One hole?


I'm actually really excited. This is going to be cool. Plus... I'm looking forward to sitting around home and drinking espresso in the morning.

And I've got a candidate for my sacrificial victim (grin). I'm not only going to play with these machines and review them - I'm going to teach a total beginner how to be a barista on these machines. I will do my best to replicate the secret mountaintop ninja training methods that I followed when first learning about espresso. In the end... her Kung Fu will be the greatest.

[Abe Carmeli]

The one hole steam wand conundrum. I think this would be the hardest thing to get used to after steaming with a 8 littler boiler. On the Brewtus, it took me a while to get the hang of it. It does produce excellent micro foam, but it takes a long time. For a beginner, a slow steam wand is easier to control. I'm curious to see if you would need to change your dosing in anyway for the home machine. Do home machines require less/more coffee to produce the result you get with the Mistral.

[malachi]

I'll post a longer update later (day one with the Mia).
But to answer your questions...

Steam Wand - while it is possible to get good milk with this wand and tip, it is none the less dramatically harder than what I'm used to. I'm going to see if the new tip fixes things come Monday.

Dosing - I'm using an OEM ridged La Marzocco double basket in a naked portafilter right now (I'm going to start alternating with a standard portafilter come this next week and I have a triple basket for some coffees). Dosing is identical to what I would go with for a Mistral.

Had a lovely double shot of the Hairbender this morning. Made a nice piccolo latte as well (with slightly sloppy latte art). Then a really nice cappuccino.

[shadowfax]

It's funny what annoys you, malachi--that you can't stand the one hole tip on the machine because it makes it take forever to steam, but you don't mind temp surfing at all. I agree though. I think temp surfing on a Silvia was a bit excessive (3 minutes between shots for reverse surfing), HX surfing doesn't seem that bad. And as for milk, you want it to get steamed as fast as possible. I'm hoping I can get my steaming for ~6 oz done in under 30 seconds on La Valentina when she comes, because I have a feeling that I will be dead set on steaming after brewing, and at that point, the faster the better. Do you steam first when you make your lattes on these machines?

[malachi]

I always either steam first or during. My mantra is and always will be "milk can wait for espresso - espresso cannot wait for milk."

[malachi]

So I woke up this morning ready to go. My first morning with Mia!

To be honest, I was a bit nervous, but...

Hopped out of bed and ran out and fired the machine up. Then get ready for the day. By the time I got back to the kitchen the machine was up to temp. One quick garbage shot (I backflushed with PuroCaff last night) and ready to get the grind set. First shot... a little bit fast. Second shot...

So here we are. The test. My second shot was perfect looking and the time and volume seemed right... so how did it taste?

I'm very familiar with the Hairbender. I've consumed a lot of it. I've consumed it from Mistrals and from Lineas. So that is my frame of reference.

This was a very good shot. It was not a great shot, but a very good one. As compared to shots from the Mistral it was lacking in body and mouthfeel. It was a bit thin and didn't have the buttery-ness that the best shots from a Mistral have. In addition, it seems like it was a bit less complex. But it was very balanced and quite tasty. If I was served the shot from a non-Stumptown cafe (with a Linea) I would have been both happy and complimentary.

One thing of interest -- with the naked portafilter you can clearly see the difference between a vibe pump and a rotary pump. With the Mia you see clearly defined "pulses" in the flow that you never get from a rotary.

One side note -- I'm not following the "normal protocol" for temp-surfing as defined by most home users. Instead, I'm doing what most pros do with a HX machine. I'm flushing for about 2 seconds when I pull the portafilter and then I'm flushing for a long 6 count immediately before inserting the portafilter and pulling the shot. The Grimac came from EPNW set to a target of 201F. The Hairbender is best at 200F. The protocol I'm following seems to nail the brew temp for the Hairbender.

Oh... some parameters. I'm dosing right around 20grams in an OEM LM double basket. I'm using the Stockfleths distribution and am pulling right around 1.8oz doubles in 27 seconds.

Extraction worked out great (see puck photo below).



Anyway... after that nice shot I thought I'd build up a piccolo latte for Valerie. First chance with milk.

Disaster. Had to throw the milk away. The wand tip and low pressure conspire against me.

Start again, this time with a different angle on the pitcher and the tip just barely under the surface. Decent milk as a result. Pull the shot. A bit sloppy with the art and... a lovely drink. Absolutely good enough to serve in a cafe. Cool!

And now for a cappuccino. Milk for a good capp is much harder with this wand, but it works and another totally servable drink.

Very cool!


(Ninja-in-training)

[Abe Carmeli]

Oh... some parameters. I'm dosing right around 20grams in an OEM LM double basket. I'm using the Stockfleths distribution and am pulling right around 1.8oz doubles in 27 seconds.

20 grams? You must be hitting the dispersion screen real hard when the puck rises. Is there a different in taste when you dose 17 grams?

[shadowfax]

20 grams, that's almost a triple ristretto! lol!

When are we going to get you pulling naked triple ristrettos? Dan's joined the dark side already...

[malachi]

Actually, I get a clear but shallow impression from the screw but no impression from the screen. If I go above 20.5grams I will see telltale signs of too high a dose (the puck will "crown" in the center when the portafilter is removed from the group for example).

I dose a different amount for different coffees and different target flavour profiles. For the Hairbender in an LM double basket I find that 19-20 grams is optimal for the flavour profile I'm looking for and I prefer to go on the high end and tamp harder.

If I dose 17 grams with this particular coffee I find that it loses most of the body and all of the chocolate and becomes very light, high-toned and fruity. The other flavour profile I do like with the Hairbender is from an 18 gram dose and about 1.25oz extraction volume. This gives me a very sweet and bright shot with good concentration, great clarity and a medium body.

I find that the Hairbender doesn't respond well to triple baskets. I have a triple basket for the review as I'll use it (for example) with the Black Cat.

[Abe Carmeli]

So Chris, if I may rephrase your technique here, you adjust the Tamp pressure to the dosage. If you want to cram 20 grams in a double basket you grind it coarse and tamp ~50lb?

[malachi]

Not exactly.

To get 19 grams into the OEM basket, simply settling the grounds (three sharp taps on the grinder fork) suffices. To up this to 20 without becoming muddy or stew-y in the cup, I've found it is required to not only settle the grounds but also to go a bit coarser with the grind and tamp a bit harder (not a ridiculous amount, just a bit). This isn't actually as much about cramming the coffee in but rather about preserving the clarity of flavour of this particular coffee.

In addition... I don't think this would be anywhere near as effective with a coffee using naturals. I've found that naturals expand for more than washed coffees in the basket (and aged and monsooned expand the most). The Hairbender is almost all washed coffees and seems to expand far less, allowing this approach.

[Teme]

One side note -- I'm not following the "normal protocol" for temp-surfing as defined by most home users. Instead, I'm doing what most pros do with a HX machine. I'm flushing for about 2 seconds when I pull the portafilter and then I'm flushing for a long 6 count immediately before inserting the portafilter and pulling the shot. The Grimac came from EPNW set to a target of 201F. The Hairbender is best at 200F. The protocol I'm following seems to nail the brew temp for the Hairbender.

Oh... some parameters. I'm dosing right around 20grams in an OEM LM double basket. I'm using the Stockfleths distribution and am pulling right around 1.8oz doubles in 27 seconds.

Just a couple of questions from a puzzled consumer newbie:

1) I am also surprised. 20g for a double? I currently use the OEM Faema basket that came with the Andreja (a ridgeless LM is on the way). I have not weighed the coffee, but I am just wondering how on earth I could fit 20g into a double basket and not choke the machine? ...and still have room for the coffee to expand during brewing? Perhaps I should buy myself a scale and check my dose? BTW, I do rotate and tap the PF vertically during dosing...

2) I have just adopted the cooling flush routine as presented by BobY (thanks!). I found that using Bob's routine did improve the quality and especially the consistency of my shots greatly. However, this is the first time I have heard/read of the procedure you describe and I am surprised. No recovery time after the long flush? The heating element must then be on during the pull? How does this effect the brew pressure during the shot or are they not interrelated? Perhaps this is a stupid question...

On another note: This type of a review/comparo is great. One does not see too many around, especially ones that are conducted by someone who has points of reference from both the viewpoint of pro as well as from that of a consumer. I look forward to reading more...

Br,
Teme

[espressobsessed]

The Mia appears to lack preinfusion, non? This is one essential for the e61...

Also, how long are your shots before they blonde? 20g is huge; the first third of your shots must be fairly intense?

Also, the path of the brew water from the boiler to the group will also come into play for your flushing routine. My Euro, for example, is different than the Isomacs. This is the area where I would say a Fluke is needed (and I badly lust after a fluke).

Lastly, what is the diameter of the one steam tip hole?

[malachi]

Actually, the Mia seems to have some ramp-up. I don't know if it's pre-infusion per se, but it's softer than what I'm used to with a Linea (for example).

Shots are going blonde at about 28 seconds. Actually, the flavour isn't as intense as you would think in the beginning. The coarser grind is a good trick here.

I would normally check out the temp - but for these reviews I'm focusing on the art not the science. So I surfed different temps and tasted the results until I got a repeatable time.

[malachi]

So the journey continues.

The Mia is continuing to prove its worth. I'm impressed by the machine, but more than that, I'm amazed by what this indicates about the potential of home machines in general. In addition, I'm starting to understand more about why people become obsessive about weird things when it comes to home machines.

The shots I'm producing from this machine are really worthy. Rather than comparing them to what one might get from a coffee bar or the like - I'm going to compare them to what I might be able to produce on commercial machines.



The truth is that I'm not (yet) able to produce espresso from the Mia that compares to what I could get from a Mistral or a modified Linea (for example). I honestly don't know if I will reach that point as I gain more familiarty with and understanding of this machine. But I do know that I'm producing espresso that is close to what I can get from a bone stock Linea and on par with what I can get from one of the cheaper Heat Exchanger commercial machines.



The most noticable difference is in the mouthfeel. The shots from the Mia are not as rich or as syrup-like. In addition, there is a lack of concentration in the flavour that manifests itself as a shortened experience of the flavour in the mouth. A good shot of Hairbender from the Mistral lingers in my mouth for about a half hour. With the Mia, it's much more fleeting. There is also a bit of "blurring" of the various components - a lack of clarity in the flavour.

As an espresso machine - the big failing of this machine manifests itself when it comes to steaming milk. As compared to commercial machines, not only is the steam power of the Mia anemic at best, the tip is incredibly poorly designed and the wand itself has a few fatal flaws. The one-hole tip simply doesn't allow one to easily texture milk (it requires some significant hand movement) but the hole is directly in the tip and has no angle at all. This requires holding the pitcher at an acute angle. The wand is very short and has a pronounced S bend. This combines with the lack of dispersion angle with the steam and the requirement for a lot of hand movement to create an incredibly awkard steaming experience.

Now... this is not to say that it's impossible to get good milk... it's just difficult.




One interesting thing has come out of all this...
I've been training someone who has never been a barista on the Mia. It hasn't been all that hard (today was her second day and she pulled two shots in a row that were absolutely servable in a cafe).
But... the temp surfing thing that seemed obvious and managable to me has proved to be difficult (at best) for her.
I've had to change the protocol a couple times to try and find one that would be both managable for her and which would make sense to her.
I feel like I'm getting close by basing the timing on the heating element indicator light.
But... I can see why people get so obsessed with fluke meters and PID controllers.
Unless you understand the relationships between the variables and can taste shots and determine correct and incorrect brew temp... it's hard.

Of course... instead of taking the shortcut people could instead learn more about espresso and being a barista.

[malachi]

If anyone has specific questions about the machine or specific things they would like tested or evaluated - please let me know. I'm going to be working the machine hard for the next week, so now is the time.

[shadowfax]

As per my post here, I am positing that these machines don't lack the power that Steve was whining about. I was perhaps a little presumptuous about it, but I really think that conclusion is utterly thoughtless. Judging by the dramatic differences we see on these machines with different tips on them, I think it's foolish to presume the machine, which has a pretty large boiler for low volume usage.

Can you get some more steam tips that will fit the machine? I'd like to hear from you how it performs with a 2 hole tip like the gold pro 2 hole being discussed elsewhere here, as well as a 4 hole tip like you'd see on a Linea or other jumbo boiler machine.

It seems obvious that the one hole tip is restricting the power of the machine and that it's at an unfortunate angle.

Thanks for the reviews; it's very fascinating to get your perspective on these machines, as much as I think you're far too demanding of them

I think it's a real compliment to these machines' overall quality that you are able to perform so well with them. It really shows that for most people, these machines will eliminate any limitation the machine could offer them.

I'd be very interested to see you spend a day or two with a Rancilio Silvia, to get a REAL idea of what the average user's machine is like. I would be MOST interested to hear some insight from you as to what makes these "Low end" ~$1000 HX machines worth more than twice the money it takes to snag a Silvia. I'd also just like to hear your perspective on how efficacious you think temp surfing on a single dual use boiler machine is--whether you find it as intuitive as HX surfing and what not. Any plans in the works for that? Maybe you could "downgrade" to a Nuova Simonelli Oscar first, and then drop down to the Silvia. From there, who knows! maybe a $100 Krups? j/k!

Thanks again, Chris.

[malachi]

I've got a couple tips on the way. I will be swapping each in and will detail the results.

I actually don't know if I really am too demanding to be honest. I think I probably expect a lot less from them than the average buyer.

I don't know what is next on the agenda for my reviews - that's pretty much up to Dan and various vendors. I'm going to have Kyle Larson come over and check these machines out - not just because he's an excellent barista but also because he actually owns a Silvia (un-modified) and can produce quite good espresso from it.

One thing I can say... for most people I honestly believe that buying a machine like the Mia and then paying for top-notch pro training is going to result in far superior espresso drinks than buying a La Spaziale S1 or the like and going it on their own. This is perhaps equally true at both the Oscar and Silvia price point as well.

[malachi]

This morning I did a quick comparison between the two machines (the Astoria and the to-be-reviewed Mia).

I found that the Mia is a more enjoyable machine for me to make espresso with. I really don't like automatic machines, I don't like the control pad buttons on the Astoria and the group-head design is frustrating for me. I found it harder to use in all ways when it came to producing good espresso.

In addition, the drip tray on the Astoria is FAR too shallow. I literally had to remove and dump it after two shots. And the process of removing it is very touchy and is almost certainly going to result in spillage.

Now... that being said, temp surfing on the Astoria is a lot easier and my guess is that a lot of non-pros would probably be happier with the Astoria as a result.

And... to be fair, the shots from the Astoria were closer (especially in mouthfeel) to what I would get from a Linea.

Where the Mia really suffered by comparison was when it came to steaming milk. The Astoria steams like a commercial machine in many ways. The pressure is high, the wand tip is well designed. Milk is quick and tasty and easy to texture.

I made a cappuccino where I pulled the shot with the Mia and steamed with the Astoria and it was incredible. All the good things about a shot of the Hairbender but with that sweet soft buttery richness of well textured milk. Very nice.

Anyway, soon after that my two hole tip arrived from Espresso Parts and I swapped it on. It's not a perfect fit and leaves a lot of threads exposed but I have a lot of teflon plumbers tape around so it all worked out.

It's a huge difference. Dramatic. All of a sudden I can make good milk with ease. It still doesn't have quite the consistency I love, but my guess is that if I could swap a Linea tip on there I might well get that as well.

The shape of the wand and the limited range of articulation still makes it all a bit difficult and clumsy feeling and I'm having to play with how I hold the pitcher still... but none the less this was a big breakthrough.

If Grimac doesn't replace that stupid tip they're crazy. And if they don't, spending the tiny amount of money to get a real tip on there is going to be the single best upgrade you've ever made.

[Abe Carmeli]

The most noticable difference is in the mouthfeel. The shots from the Mia are not as rich or as syrup-like. In addition, there is a lack of concentration in the flavour that manifests itself as a shortened experience of the flavour in the mouth. A good shot of Hairbender from the Mistral lingers in my mouth for about a half hour. With the Mia, it's much more fleeting. There is also a bit of "blurring" of the various components - a lack of clarity in the flavour.

Chris,

I'm wondering if this difference is somehow related to your temp surfing routine. The Mia, and home machines in general, have a tiny H/X in a small boiler. The Mistral's H/X is at least five times bigger, not to mention the boiler. The temp surfing routine we use on a home machine is somewhat unique to them. Some use the water dance cue, Dan is a good example of that approach. I use flush charts that are based on how long the machine was idle. The flush method you described, if I understand it correctly, disregards idle time and always flushes the same amount. In my experience, this will not produce consistent temperature. (hitting your target brew temperature repeatedly). Are you counting on your taste buds to tell you what the brew temp is?